


The Poem

by ChelleBee53



Category: The Waltons (TV)
Genre: Originally Posted on FanFiction.Net
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-06
Updated: 2020-10-13
Packaged: 2021-03-04 18:41:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 23
Words: 9,543
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25111042
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChelleBee53/pseuds/ChelleBee53
Summary: This AU prequel to The Waltons is set approximately three years before the first episode.Characters not invented by me are the property of Earl Hamner Jr. and Lorimar Television.I'm using Reverend Fordwick in this story, although, according to the show's canon, hewouldn't have arrived for several more years.
Kudos: 4





	1. Miss Hunter's Announcement

"I have some exciting news," Miss Hunter announced to the boys and girls in the one-room schoolhouse. "I know that most of you are familiar with The Junior Journal."

Almost every child nodded. They avidly read the popular paper every week, although most of them had to borrow it from the few children who had their own subscriptions. Sometimes, though, a child managed to buy a copy at Ike Godsey's store.

Miss Hunter went on, "The paper is sponsoring a poetry contest. The theme is Night. I have entry blanks for those who wish to compete."

Everyone turned to look at thirteen-year-old John-Boy Walton. Of course he would win, they reasoned. He had already received several awards for his stories, compositions, and poetry. There would be no point in the rest of them entering.

But Miss Hunter was still speaking.

"The competition is open to all children between the ages of nine and twelve, whether they are subscribers or not, and there will be three cash prizes awarded. Third prize, ten dollars; second prize, twenty dollars, and first prize," she concluded, "thirty dollars."

The children looked at each other. Thirty dollars, twenty dollars, even ten dollars seemed like a fortune to most kids growing up at that time.

"If only I could win that contest," ten-year-old Mary Ellen Walton thought. "That would show everybody that John-Boy isn't the only Walton who can write something good enough to win a prize."


	2. An Encounter With Martha Rose Coverdale

"The Junior Journal is holding a poetry contest," Mary Ellen said that night at supper, trying to sound casual.

"That's right," Jason corroborated. "Miss Hunter announced it in school today. Please pass the pot roast and onions."

"Are any of you children entering?" Grandma Walton addressed her question to all of her grandchildren, except Jim-Bob and Elizabeth,  
who were still too young to go to school, let alone write poetry, but she _looked_ at John-Boy.

"I'm past the age of eligibility," John-Boy said.

"Are _any_ of you children entering?" Grandma asked again.

"Yes," Mary Ellen answered. "Me."

"It's too bad John-Boy is too old to enter," Jason remarked. "He'd be sure to win a prize."

"Maybe not," John-Boy said. "Don't forget, there will be children from all over the country sending  
in their poems. But," he admitted, "I _would_ enjoy entering, just for the challenge."

"Well, I hope Mary Ellen wins one of the prizes," Erin said.

"That would be nice," Olivia said, "but remember, winning a prize is not the most important thing. What  
matters is that you do the best you can."

"Yes, Mama," said Mary Ellen. She did not say what she was thinking: "But winning _is_ the most important thing."

#####

Martha Rose Coverdale came up to Mary Ellen the next day at recess.

"So you're entering that poetry contest?"

"That's right," Mary Ellen said

"Why should you even bother?" Martha Rose scoffed. "No poem _you_ send in could even get an Honorable Mention."

Mary Ellen glared at Martha Rose and said,"I'll bet I _will_ win one of the cash prizes."

"How much?" Martha Rose challenged.

"How much what?"

"How much do you bet, Mary Ellen?"

"Anything you want to," Mary Ellen said without thinking.

"All right," Martha Rose said, "I'll bet you a dollar that you won't win anything."

"It's a bet," said Mary Ellen.

It wasn't until Martha Rose had walked away that Mary Ellen realized what she had done.

"If Mama ever found out that I made that bet, I'd have to learn at least ten Bible verses. And if I don't  
win a prize, where am I going to get a dollar?"

Mary Ellen felt more than ever that she just _had_ to win that poetry contest.


	3. An Old Book

Mary Ellen spent the next week writing, or rather trying to write, a prize-worthy poem. She didn't show her efforts  
to anybody, and nobody pressed her to do so. They understood a writer's need for privacy during what is known as  
the creative process.

"When she's ready to show it to us, she will," John-Boy said.

But Mary Ellen didn't think she'd ever be ready to show anybody what she had written. Her best effort, so far,  
consisted of only two lines:

"The stars at night are so pretty.  
I wonder how they look in the city."

"If I were six or seven," Mary Ellen thought, "that would pretty good. But for someone my age, it stinks"

####

Two weeks later, Mary Ellen, who still hadn't written a poem she considered good enough to enter, walked  
into the little public library.

"It's good to see you, Mary Ellen," Miss Bennett, whose auburn hair was tied with a dark green ribbon, greeted  
her from behind her desk.

"Miss Hunter said we should read a book we've never read before, and then write a report on it.  
Can you suggest something good?"

"I can give you a book that nobody has checked out in years, and that," said Miss Bennett, a bit sadly, "is a pity.  
Perhaps I should just discard it but I just don't have the heart to. You see, it's a book that I'm very fond of."

"Then why don't you take it home?" Mary Ellen asked curiously.

"I have my own copy," Miss Bennett answered, smiling. "It used to belong to my grandmother. It's Maria Edgeworth's  
 _Rosamond_."

"I'll try it," Mary Ellen said. "Thank you."

####

Alone in her bedroom a little later, Mary Ellen opened the book. An old newspaper clipping, brown with age, fell out.

Mary Ellen picked up the clipping and read:

"Stars look like daisies,"  
So some people say.  
"Stars sparkle like diamonds,"  
Is a well-worn cliche.  
And some folks see snowflakes  
In the nighttime sky.  
But somehow I  
Don't see all that stuff.  
I see only stars.  
That's enough.

Mary Ellen held her breath. If only _she_ could write a poem like that, she thought, she would be sure to win the competition.


	4. Mary Ellen Struggles With Mary Ellen

The deadline grew closer, frighteningly closer. Mary Ellen _had_ to win that contest. If she didn't, she would owe  
Martha Rose a dollar... and Martha Rose would never let her forget that she, Mary Ellen, had _not_ written a prize-winning poem.

And Mary Ellen _needed_ a poem for the contest.

Meanwhile, without meaning to, she committed the poem she had found inside _Rosamond_ to memory. All those Bible verses Mama  
had made her learn for punishment, plus the poetry Miss Hunter had had her students learn by heart, had sharpened Mary Ellen's skills  
for memorizing.

The poem seemed almost a part of Mary Ellen by now; it almost seemed to _belong_ to her.

And Mary Ellen _needed_ a poem for the contest.

Besides, she reasoned with herself, if she hadn't been _meant_ to find that poem, why had it been in that old book that hadn't  
been checked out of the library in years?

And Mary Ellen _needed_ a poem for the contest.

"Just think," Mary Ellen said to herself, "how proud everybody would be if my poem won."

"It's not your poem," Mary Ellen argued with Mary Ellen.

"But I _need_ a poem for the contest."

And then, Mary Ellen decided that there was only one thing she could do.  
She took out her pen and some paper, and began to write.

####  
The next day, before school, Mary Ellen walked into Ike Godsey's General Store, which also housed the post office.

"Good morning, Mary Ellen," Ike greeted her. "What brings you here so early in the morning?"

"I have to have this sent out right away," Mary Ellen said, as she handed Ike an envelope addressed to The Junior Journal.


	5. Results

Martha Rose came into Ike Godsey's store at that moment.

"Is that your poem for the contest?" she asked.

"Yes," said Mary Ellen, "it is."

"You're just wasting the postage," Martha Rose sneered. "You'll never win."

Ike Godsey spoke up. "How do you know she won't? Are you running the contest?"

"If Martha Rose ran that contest," Mary Ellen said, "I wouldn't enter."

"I mailed my poem to the Junior Journal today," Mary Ellen announced at supper... fried  
chicken, mashed potatoes, and corn on the cob.

"You know," Olivia said, "none of us ever saw that poem. I'd like to read it."

"You don't make John-Boy show you his things until he's ready to," Mary Ellen protested.

"She's right, Mama," John-Boy said.

"I'll let you see it after the winners are announced," Mary Ellen said. "I have a feeling it would  
be bad luck to show it to anyone before then."

"Bad luck? Let's not have any of that superstitious talk in this house, Mary Ellen!"

"Sorry, Grandma, but I'd still rather wait."

"I understand," John said. "You're hoping we'll get to see your poem in print."

"That would be nice," Olivia agreed, "but don't get your hopes up too much, Mary Ellen. Don't  
forget that hundreds of children from all over the country are entering, and there will only be  
three winners."

"But won't you be proud if I'm one of them, Mama?"

"I'm already proud of you, Mary Ellen. I'm proud of you for writing a poem and entering that contest."

"When are they going to announce the winners?" Grandpa asked.

"A little more than a month from now," Mary Ellen answered. "I don't know how I'm going to wait that long."

"You and hundreds of others," Olivia reminded her.

"It does seem like a long time at your age," Grandpa agreed, "but to me, a month is all too short."

"Time flies," Grandma added. "That month will go by faster than you think."

####

A month later, Miss Hunter once again stood in front of the class and made an announcement. A copy  
of the Junior Journal lay on her desk.

"Boys and girls, this week's issue of the Junior Journal came out this morning," Miss Hunter said, "and I am very proud to  
be able to say that first prize in the poetry contest has been won by one of our own students. Please join me in congratulating  
Mary Ellen Walton!"

Everyone... almost everyone... turned to smile at Mary Ellen. The girls clapped their hands. The boys whistled and stamped their feet.

"And now," said Miss Hunter, "I will read Mary Ellen's poem, Stars." She picked up the Junior Journal from her desk, opened it,  
and read,

"Stars look like daisies,"  
So some people say.  
"Stars sparkle like diamonds,"  
Is a well-worn cliche.  
And some folks see snowflakes  
In the nighttime sky.  
But somehow I  
Don't see all that stuff.  
I see only stars.  
That's enough."


	6. We're All Proud Of You

"Mama and Daddy and Grandma and Grandpa are going to be so proud of you, Mary Ellen. That was a  
beautiful poem you wrote,"John-Boy said as the Walton school-children headed for home. He turned to  
the others. "And don't any of the rest of you go spilling the beans. Let Mary Ellen be the one to tell  
them."

"Oh, I don't care who tells them," Mary Ellen said, trying to sound casual.

"No," John-Boy insisted, "it's your right to tell them."

####

But as it turned out, Mary Ellen did not get to announce her victory.

As soon as the children trooped into the house, Olivia cried out, "Mary Ellen, I am SO proud of you!"

"I told her you would be," said John-Boy.

"How did you know I won?

Grandma answered, "We were in Ike Godsey's store, and he'd put a sign over the copies of the Junior Journal he has on sale  
letting everyone know about your prize-winning poem."

"What are you going to do with the prize money when you get it?" Ben asked.

"I'm not sure yet. After all I've never had thirty dollars to spend," Mary Ellen said. She didn't mention the dollar   
she expected to get from Martha Rose.

"Twenty-seven," said Grandma. "You'll want to give a three-dollar tithe to the church."

####

"I think," Grandpa said at supper that night, "that our grand-prize winner should be the one to ask the blessing tonight."

The family held hands around the table.

Mary Ellen couldn't speak.

"Cat got your tongue?" Erin teased.

"I guess she's overwhelmed," Olivia said. "After all, out of all the thousands of poems that were sent into that contest,  
hers was the very best."

"Pa, why don't you say the blessing tonight?" John suggested.

"Very well, I will. Lord, we thank Thee for this good food, for the honor that Mary Ellen has brought to this family, and for all  
Thy blessings. Amen."

"Wait," said Jason, taking out his harmonica and starting to play.

Grandma, Grandpa, John, Olivia, John-Boy, Ben, Erin, Jim-Bob and Elizabeth turned to Mary Ellen and sang "For She's A Jolly Good Fellow."  
It must be said, however, that Elizabeth, being so young, strayed a bit from the tune.

"We're all so very proud of you," John said when the song was over.

Yes, everyone in the Walton family was proud of Mary Ellen. Everyone... except Mary Ellen.


	7. A Discovery

"How soon do you think the thirty dollars will come?" Ben asked the next day at breakfast, buttering a piece of corn bread and sprinkling  
some salt and pepper... not too much... on his fried eggs.

"I'm not sure," Mary Ellen said. "Probably about a week. But when it comes, I'll get some presents for everyone," she promised.

"Like what?"

"You'll have to wait and see, Jim-Bob, but one thing I plan to get is lots of candy."

"Not too much candy," Grandma said. "We don't want any toothaches around here."

"We won't eat it all at once," John-Boy said.

"Please pass the bacon," said Jason.

####

At recess later that day, Mary Ellen took Martha Rose aside and said, "In case you've forgotten, you owe me a dollar."

"I didn't forget," Martha Rose answered. "I got a dollar from my Daddy."

"Did you tell him why you needed it?"

"I didn't have to. I just told him I wanted a dollar, and he handed it right over. You know my parents always give me  
whatever I want."

She gave the dollar to Mary Ellen.

Mary Ellen was relieved that nobody saw that little transaction.

Two days later, Olivia walked into Ike Godsey's store.

"Ike, I need a pound of coffee."

"One pound of coffee coming up," Ike said. "You know, I've already sold every copy I had of the Junior Journal, and  
there are still folks coming in and asking for it, and it's all thanks to Mary Ellen."

Olivia replied, "We're all very proud of Mary Ellen. Grandma is a bit worried, though."

"Why would she be worried?"

"She's afraid we may be falling into _sinful_ pride, but Grandpa says there's a difference between accepting congratulations from  
others, and blowing your own horn."

"I agree with him," Ike said, measuring and then grinding the coffee.

"I love the smell of freshly ground coffee," Olivia said.

####

Meanwhile, miles away, a ten-year-old girl named Charlotte Blake was reading her copy of the Junior Journal.  
She came to the page with the prize-winning poems. When she read the first-prize winner, she gasped, and walked   
over to the armchair where her mother was sitting, crocheting a hat.

Mom, look at this. That's the poem great-aunt Clara wrote when she was a girl."

"Yes," Mrs. Blake said indignantly, "it is. That Mary Ellen Walton is nothing but a little plagiarist."


	8. Word From The Junior Journal

About a week later, John-Boy walked into Ike Godsey's store on an errand for his mother.

"Hey, John-Boy!"

"Hey, Ike," said John-Boy. "Mama needs half a pound of flour."

Ike measured the flour and scooped it into a sack.

John-Boy paid for the flour and remarked, "I see you've got this week's issue of the Junior Journal."

"That reminds me," Ike said. "I've also got a couple of letters from them."

"Two?" John-Boy asked, surprised.

"One is for Mary Ellen, and the other is for your parents," Ike said, handing the letters to John-Boy.

"Thanks, Ike," said John-Boy. "The letter for Mary Ellen must be have her prize money, but I can't for the life of   
me figure out why they also wrote to Mama and Daddy."

"Maybe because Mary Ellen is a minor," Ike suggested.

"Yes," John-Boy agreed, "that's probably it."

"Give my regards to your folks."

"I will."

As John-Boy walked out of the store, Martha Rose Coverdale walked in and bought several items, including the Junior Journal.   
She went home, took the paper up to her room, and began to read. There, in big letters were the following words:  
IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT ABOUT OUR RECENT COMPETITION

"Just wait until everyone finds out about this!"Martha Rose gloated after reading the announcement.

####

While Martha Rose was reading the Junior Journal and gloating, Olivia was reading the letter they had sent.   
She was definitely _not_ gloating.

John came in just then.

"What's wrong, Liv? You look upset."

"Upset doesn't begin to say how I feel," Olivia said.

John asked again, "What's wrong?"

"Read this," Olivia said, handing him the letter.

"Hi, Mama! Hi, Daddy! I stopped at Ike's and he told me he gave John-Boy a couple of letters from the Junior Journal.   
I guess one of them has my prize money in it."

"No, Mary Ellen," John answered soberly, "they didn't send any prize money."

Mary Ellen had a sudden sick feeling.

"So... you know?" she whispered.

"Yes," John answered. "We know what you did. We know you didn't write that poem."

"I never thought," Olivia said in a tight voice, "that the day would come when I would be ashamed of one of my children."

"Oh, Mama, I..." Mary Ellen choked out.

She couldn't finish. She ran upstairs, sobbing.

Olivia turned to John and said, "The question is, just how are we going to punish her?"

"Liv," John said soberly, "I think you just did."


	9. John-Boy Learns The Truth

John-Boy, who had left Mary Ellen's letter on her pillow, was writing in his journal when he heard the door to the room she shared with  
Erin. (Elizabeth still slept in their parents' bedroom.) And then, he heard Mary Ellen sobbing. He put down his pen, and went to his sisters' room.

"Mary Ellen," he called, "what's wrong?"

"Please just leave me alone. "

"Whatever it is, maybe I can help."

Mary Ellen opened the door and said, "You can't help."

"I can't imagine why you're crying," John-Boy said. "Didn't you see the letter from the Junior Journal."

Mary Ellen nodded.

"Why," said John-Boy, looking towards Mary Ellen's bed, "you haven't even opened it. I thought you'd be all excited about  
getting your prize money."

"I'm not getting the money."

"What do you mean, you're not getting the money?"

Mary Ellen picked up the letter and handed it to John-Boy, saying, "You open it. I'm afraid to."

"It's your letter. You open it."

"Please," Mary Ellen pleaded, "just open it and... tell me how bad it is."

"Mary Ellen, does this have anything to do with the letter they sent to Mama and Daddy?"

"Just read it."

John-Boy read the letter. He blinked his eyes, as if he couldn't believe what was written on that sheet of paper.

_Dear Mary Ellen Walton,_

_It has been called to our attention that you did not write the poem that you submitted to our recent  
contest, but rather copied it from a newspaper published more than forty years ago. We have proof of  
this, as several readers have sent us clippings. You will not, of course, be receiving the prize money, and  
you are never to send anything else to the Junior Journal.  
We are obligated, in fairness, to announce this in the next issue.  
We have also written to your parents, who will, we hope, help you to learn that, as the saying goes,  
honesty is the best policy.  
_

"No, Mary Ellen," John-Boy whispered, "no. It's a mistake. Please tell me it's a mistake."

"It... it's not a mistake."

"Why did you do it?" John-Boy asked.

"Because I _had_ to win that contest," Mary Ellen answered, "and I couldn't write anything good enough. John-Boy, there's  
something else I did, and I don't know how to tell Mama and Daddy about it."

"What else did you do?"

Mary Ellen was about to tell John-Boy about the bet she had made with Martha Rose when John came upstairs.

"John-Boy, I need to talk to Mary Ellen... alone."

"Daddy, I know what it's about. Mary Ellen asked me to read the letter they sent her."

"Well, don't say anything to the rest of the family. They'll have to know eventually, but it can wait."

"I won't say anything, Daddy.

"Thank you."

John-Boy went downstairs.

"Mary Ellen," John said, "I won't tell you how wrong what you did was, because I think you already know."

Oh, Daddy, I can never face anybody again!"

"Yes, you can. Now look, Mary Ellen, everybody does wrong sometimes. A fine person faces up to it, faces the  
consequences, and tries to make things right. And I know that's what you will do, because you are a fine person."

"Am I, Daddy? Really?"

"Yes, but, like I said, a fine person faces the consequences, and there is one consequence you are going to have to  
face right now."


	10. Consequences

"Are you going to take me to the woodshed?'' Mary Ellen asked.

"Don't you think you deserve it?"

Mary Ellen nodded. She didn't think she deserved it; she _knew_ she deserved it.

"Then let's go," said her father

####

When they got to the woodshed, John closed the door and took the razor strop off its nail.

"Bend over."

Mary Ellen obeyed.

A few minutes later, John was hanging up the strop while a tearful Mary Ellen stood there, rubbing the seat of her  
overalls. Never before had she gotten such a long, hard spanking; never again would she get one like it.

The punishment hadn't been easy for John to administer. He had to steady his voice before he could say, "That's  
one consequence over with."

"Mama's going to make me learn a lot of Bible verses, isn't she?"

"Probably, but that's not what I'm talking about."

"Then what?" Mary Ellen asked.

"Tonight, after supper," her father answered, "you will tell the rest of the family the truth about that poem. It won't be easy,  
but it's something you need to do."

"Couldn't you or Mama tell them?" Mary Ellen pleaded.

"No, Honey. Telling them yourself is part of facing up to it."

#####

That night at supper...roast beef and mashed potatoes with gravy, corn on the cob, and apple pie for dessert... Mary Ellen  
had to sit on a pillow.

"Why are you sitting on that pillow?" Erin asked. "Did Daddy take you to the woodshed?"

"Yes."

"What did you do?" Jason wanted to know.

"Was it something real bad?" Jim-Bob asked.

"I'll tell you after supper," Mary Ellen said, "and yes, it was something very bad."

And then, all too soon, supper was over. Everyone looked expectantly at Mary Ellen.

"I..." Mary Ellen began. She couldn't say anything more.

"We're waiting to hear what you have to say," Olivia said.

"It's about the poem," Mary Ellen said.

"What about it?" Erin asked.

"I didn't write it."

"What do you mean, you didn't write it?" Jason demanded.

"I copied it from an old newspaper clipping I found in a library book."

"You mean to say you _cheated_?"

"Yes, Ben. I cheated, and soon everyone will know. They're announcing it in the Junior Journal."

Grandma said, "Good Lord!"

"We'll be disgraced," Erin moaned. "Mary Ellen, how COULD you do such a thing? I'm GLAD you got a  
spanking!"

"Me, too," said Ben.

"You deserved it," Jason added.

"I know I deserved it."

"I'm finding this very hard to believe," Grandpa said, "but I'm sure you won't do such a thing again, Mary Ellen."

"I won't... ever."

####

The next day was Saturday.

"Mary Ellen," Olivia said, "I want you to get a few things for me at Ike Godsey's store."

"Oh, Mama, I can't. Please don't make me."

"You'll have to start facing people, and the sooner the better," Olivia answered.

"Please come with me," Mary Ellen pleaded.

"All right," Olivia consented.

####

When they got to the store, Mary Ellen and her mother met a neighbor, Janice Purdy, who was coming out with a package.

"Good morning, Janice."

"Good morning, Olivia."

"Good morning, Mrs. Purdy."

"I have no "good morning" for a cheat," Mrs. Purdy responded coldly. She turned to Olivia and added, "If she were _my_  
child, I'd confine to the house all day as punishment."

Olivia responded with dignity, "Mary Ellen's father and I are dealing with her as we see fit. Good day."

Mrs. Purdy walked away.

Olivia and Mary Ellen went inside. Martha Rose Coverdale was inside, looking at some doll dishes she  
wanted to buy for her little cousin Louisa's birthday. She turned and saw Mary Ellen and Olivia.

"Mary Ellen Walton," Martha Rose said, pointing an accusing finger, "you owe me a dollar!"


	11. Martha Rose Confronts Mary Ellen

"What do you mean, Mary Ellen owes you a dollar?" Olivia demanded.

Martha Rose began, "Well, you see..."

"Wait, Martha Rose," Mary Ellen interrupted. " _I"ll_ tell her."

"I'm listening" Olivia said.

"And that," Martha Rose put in after Mary Ellen had explained about the bet, "is  
why Mary Ellen owes me a dollar."

"No, Martha Rose, Mary Ellen does _not_ owe you a dollar."

"Excuse me for arguing with an adult, Mrs. Walton, but yes, she does."

"No. Mary Ellen does not owe you a dollar. She owes you two dollars... the one you gave her, and  
the one _she_ should have given to you instead."

"Can't I just give her her dollar back, and call off the bet?"

"Ordinarily, Mary Ellen," Olivia said, "that's exactly what I would have you do. You know how I feel about gambling.  
"But," she went on, "as much as a disapprove of gambling, I disapprove even more of cheating. You'll have to give  
Martha Rose two dollars."

"Yes, Mama," a shamefaced Mary Ellen whispered. She turned to Martha Rose. "I only have a quarter right now,  
but I promise you I'll give you the rest of the money as soon as I can."

Martha Rose accepted the quarter, saying, "Now you only owe me a dollar and seventy-five cents."

She paid for the doll dishes and left the store.

Ike Godsey shook his head. He had to admit to himself that what Mary Ellen had done was wrong, very wrong,  
and he couldn't help but feel disappointed in her. Still, Martha Rose Coverdale didn't need to confront her in front  
of her Mama. She could have spoken to her at school.

Mary Ellen felt the same way.

#####

Back at the house, Olivia escorted Mary Ellen to her room.

"Now," she said, "you will learn fifteen Bible verses."

Mary Ellen wasn't surprised at this. She had known all along that this would happen if her Mama found out about the bet.

Still she protested, "But Mama, you already made me learn fifteen verses yesterday," Mary Ellen protested.

"You will learn fifteen more today," Olivia said firmly.

"Yes, Mama."

####

That night, long after the "good nights" had been said, and everyone else was asleep, Mary Ellen lay awake, brooding.

If Martha Rose hadn't made her so angry by saying, "No poem _you_ send in could even get an Honorable Mention," she wouldn't have  
made that bet. And if she hadn't made that bet, she wouldn't have _had_ to win that contest. And if she hadn't _had_ to win that contest,  
she wouldn't have copied someone else's poem.

And then, after the truth about the poem came out, Martha Rose had made sure that Olivia found out about the bet.

Yes, Mary Ellen concluded, her troubles were more Martha Rose's fault than her own.

So now, she lay awake, brooding, trying to think of a way to get even with Martha Rose.


	12. Church and School

"Mama," Mary Ellen asked the next morning at breakfast, "do I have to go to church today?"

"Yes, Mary Ellen, you do," Olivia answered.

"Daddy doesn't go to church," Mary Ellen argued.

"Your father is a grown man and he can make his own decisions about going to church," Olivia said,  
at the same time giving John her _why won't you go to church_? look.

Grandma put in, "Now, Mary Ellen, you know that you've already done something very wrong, don't you? You  
don't," she added, "want to add another sin to it by skipping church."

"Please pass the bacon and eggs," said Jim-Bob.

####

Church that morning was uncomfortable, not only for Mary Ellen, but for the rest of the family as well.

The nudges. The looks. The whispers. The heads shaking in disapproval.

It was almost time for the service to begin. Grandma sat down at the organ.

Reverend Fordwick announced the opening hymn, _The Old Rugged Cross_ , and Grandma began to play.

As the Waltons walked out after the service, they heard one woman whisper to another, "I don't see how  
Esther Walton could sit there playing that organ after what her granddaughter did."

Mary Ellen's face grew hot.

"I should think," the other woman said, "that she'd..."

"Excuse me? You should think that I'd what?"

The women turned around, looking very confused and embarrassed.

"Maybe," Grandma suggested pointedly, "you should think about what the Bible says about gossip."

"See that? "They're even talking about _Grandma_ because of you!"

"That's enough, Erin."

"Yes, Mama."

####

The next morning, the Walton schoolchildren did not linger outside the schoolhouse talking with their schoolmates  
They went right inside, hoping to avoid any confrontations.

But they could not escape the words written in large letters on the blackboard:

**MARY ELLEN WALTON IS A CHEAT!**

Miss Hunter entered, looked at the blackboard, and swiftly erased the words.

But she could not erase the words, and the feeling that they were all too true, from Mary Ellen's heart.

School began a few minutes later.

Martha Rose Coverdale walked by Mary Ellen's desk on the way to her own. Mary Ellen noticed some traces  
of chalk dust on Martha Rose's fingers.

Martha Rose reached her desk, sat down, and then raised her hand.

"Yes, Martha Rose?"

"Miss Hunter," Martha Rose asked, "are you going to punish Mary Ellen for cheating in that poetry contest?"

Everyone waited to hear what Miss Hunter would say.

Mary Ellen was more determined than ever to get revenge on Martha Rose.


	13. Martha Rose's New Target

"No, Martha Rose," Miss Hunter said, "I'm not going to punish Mary Ellen."

"But don't you think you _ought_ to punish her for cheating?" Martha Rose objected.

"Miss Hunter answered, "No. Since this was not a scholastic competition, I think we can let Mary Ellen's parents deal with her."

"Well, I think..."

"That's enough, Martha Rose," Miss Hunter said firmly. "The subject is closed."

"Mary Ellen looked at the teacher with gratitude.

####

The subject of Mary Ellen's cheating may have been closed in the classroom, but it was opened again at recess. And, of course, it was Martha Rose who reopened the subject. This time, however, her target was not Mary Ellen. After all, the other girls were already ignoring her.

No, Martha Rose's target was Erin.

Erin was about to get into a game of hide-and-seek with some girls her own age when Martha Rose walked up and said, "I wouldn't play with her if I were you."

"Why not?" a girl named Sarah asked.

"Well, how do you know she isn't a cheat, just like her sister?"

"Martha Rose has a point," said a girl whose name was Louise. The others nodded their heads.

And so Erin, too, found herself ostracized. She blamed both Martha Rose and Mary Ellen, but Mary Ellen was the one she confronted

Erin walked up to her sister and said, "I want to talk to you."

"Sure," Mary Ellen answered.

"In private."

"Okay."

When the girls were where they couldn't be heard, Erin told Mary Ellen what had happened.

"So now Martha Rose is picking on _you_?" Mary Ellen asked, indignantly.

"Yes," Erin answered.

"She has a nerve, because it was all her fault in the first place."

"How was it her fault?"

Mary Ellen told Erin about the bet she had made with Martha Rose.

"So you wanted to win the contest so you'd win the bet."

"That's right," said Mary Ellen, "and I wouldn't have made that bet if Martha Rose hadn't egged me on."

Mary Ellen stopped, realizing what she had just said: "If Martha Rose hadn't egged me on."

She knew, now, how she was going to get even with Martha Rose.


	14. A Surprise For Martha Rose

"I know how to get even with Martha Rose," Mary Ellen told Erin.

"How?" Erin asked.

"Well," Mary Ellen said, "I found something the other day, and it's just what I need."

Erin wanted to know what Mary Ellen had found. Mary Ellen whispered in her sister's ear.

Erin laughed and said, "That will serve her right."

"Wait a minute. I just realized something," Mary Ellen said.

"What?"

"The only way I can make sure she shuts up about that contest is if she knows I'm the one who got her."

"You'll get into a lot of trouble, Mary Ellen."

"I know, but it'll be worth it."

"I want to help," said Erin.

"But then you'll get into trouble, too," Mary Ellen pointed out.

"Like you said," Erin replied, "it'll be worth it."

"Well, you can't help, but you can watch," Mary Ellen decided.

"I guess that's better than nothing."

####

When school let out for the day, Martha Rose walked over to Mary Ellen.

"When," she demanded, "are you going to pay me the rest of what you owe me?"

John-Boy, Jason, and Ben, who were standing nearby, waited for the explosion.

Erin, who knew something her brothers didn't, was not surprised, as they were, at Mary Ellen's calm answer.

"Martha Rose," Mary Ellen said, "I promise you'll get what's coming to you."

"When?" Martha Rose asked

"It could be as soon as tomorrow."

Erin could hardly wait.

####

Mary Ellen left for school early the next morning. Erin was not with her; she had awakened with a slight fever, and Olivia was keeping her in bed.

Mary Ellen made a slight detour, and picked up a certain item.

"I'm glad it was still there," she thought.

####

Martha Rose was feeling especially pleased with herself that morning. She was wearing a brand-new rose-pink dress, and she was well aware of how good she looked in it. She could hardly wait to show it to the other girls.

Suddenly, something landed on Martha Rose's head.

It was an old, abandoned nest.

The contents of that nest splattered all over Martha Rose.

Rotten eggs.

Martha's Rose's hair, her face, her dress, were covered with rotten eggs, slimy, sticky, smelly ... make that stinky ... rotten eggs.

She had never smelled anything so horrible, so disgusting, in her life.

She shrieked.

Then she heard someone laughing.

Martha Rose looked up.

There, up in a tree, was Mary Ellen Walton.

"You! You did this!"

"I told you," Mary Ellen taunted her, "you'd get what's coming to you. If I were you," she added, "I'd wash my hair and change my dress. You really stink, Martha Rose."


	15. Olivia Has Two Unexpected Callers

Martha Rose turned and walked away, dripping, sticky, stinking, as the saying goes, to high Heaven. To her  
great humiliation, she encountered several of her schoolmates along the way.

They made remarks like "Peee-yoooo!" and asked her what had happened. Then they went on, whispering, and,  
in some cases, snickering.

Meanwhile, Mary Ellen had climbed down from the tree and was headed for school, thinking about how perfect her  
aim had been, and thinking about the look on Martha Rose's face.

####

"Where's Martha Rose?" Miss Hunter asked a little while later.

A girl raised her hand.

"Yes, Amelia?"

"I don't think she'll be here today," Amelia said. "I met her, and she was going home. She had rotten eggs or something  
all over her."

"Oh, no!" Miss Hunter exclaimed, shaking her head. "Poor Martha Rose. How could anyone do such a thing to her?"

Mary Ellen said nothing, but thought to herself, "She had it coming."

####

Grandma and Olivia had just sat down to do some mending about ninety minutes later when they heard somebody knocking,  
or rather pounding, on the door. Olivia went to answer, with Grandma right behind her.

There stood Martha Rose and her mother. Martha Rose's hair was wrapped in a blue towel, and Mrs. Coverdale held a dress  
in her hands.

Esther Walton wrinkled her nose and thought, "Something smells like rotten eggs."

"Rose. Martha Rose," Olivia said, wondering why the girl wasn't in school, "won't you come in?"

Martha Rose and her mother stepped inside.

Olivia closed the door and asked, "Would you like something to eat or drink?"

"Mrs. Walton," Mrs. Coverdale replied, "this isn't a social call. I want you to look at this dress that I had  
just bought for Martha Rose, and that she was wearing today for the first time."

Grandma and Olivia looked at the dress.

"I was right," Grandma thought. "Rotten eggs."

"What happened?" Olivia asked.

"What happened is that your daughter, Mary Ellen, ambushed my Martha Rose on her way to school."

"Ambushed her how?" Olivia wanted to know.

"She hid in a tree and threw a nest with rotten eggs in it onto Martha Rose's head. You can't think what  
a time we had getting the egg out of her hair."

"Good Lord!" Grandma exclaimed.

"And my dress is ruined," Martha Rose put in.

"Of course," Mrs. Coverdale went on, "this is just the sort of behavior one might expect from a girl who would  
cheat in order to win a contest."

"Just a minute," Olivia said. "I am sick and tired of hearing people talk about that contest."

"Me, too," Grandma agreed.

"Now," Olivia said, "I'm not defending Mary Ellen for that, but she is not the first child who ever copied something and  
sent it to a magazine or newspaper as her own work, and," she added, "I'm sure she won't be the last."

"But what about what she did to Martha Rose?" Mrs. Coverdale demanded.

"That was very wrong of her," Olivia admitted, "but I know my daughter, and I know that she wouldn't have done such a  
thing unless she had had some great provocation."

"Well, really!" Mrs. Coverdale gasped. "Come, Martha Rose, we'll be leaving now."

When Martha Rose and her mother had gone, Grandma turned to Olivia and said, "I can't believe you excused Mary Ellen  
for what she did!"

"I didn't excuse her," Olivia replied. "What Mary Ellen did was wrong, and I will deal with her when she comes home from school."


	16. An Apology and A Revelation

"How's Erin?" John-Boy asked when he and the other schoolchildren came home that afternoon.

"She's better," Olivia answered. "Mary Ellen, put your books down. We're going out right now."

"Where, Mama?"

"To the Coverdale house."

"Oh," said Mary Ellen

Olivia said sternly, "You are going to apologize to Martha Rose for what you did to her."

"That's the _least_ you should have to do," Grandma put in.

####

Mary Ellen wanted to walk as slowly as possible to Martha Rose's house, but her mama had other ideas.  
"Mary Ellen, stop dragging your feet."

And then they were at the Coverdale house, and Olivia was knocking on the door.

Rose Coverdale opened the door and said "Yes?" in a tone of voice that would almost have frozen the sun.

"Mary Ellen has something to say to Martha Rose," Olivia said.

"Come inside and I'll get her."

A few minutes later, Mary Ellen and Martha Rose were facing each other.

"Mary Ellen has something to say to you," Olivia told Martha Rose. "Mary Ellen?"

"I'm sorry I dumped those rotten eggs on you," Mary Ellen lied, "and I'm sorry about your dress. No," she said,  
annoyed at Martha Rose's smug, satisfied expression, "I'm not sorry."

"Mary Ellen," Olivia began, warningly.

"Mama, you don't know what she did yesterday. She told everyone not to play with Erin, just because she's my sister!"

"Martha Rose, is that true?" Rose asked.

Martha Rose nodded her head.

"Then," her mother said, "you must apologize to her."

Mary Ellen was pleased to see that Martha Rose no longer looked smug and satisfied.

####  
"I didn't know about what Martha Rose did to Erin," Olivia said, as she and Mary Ellen walked home.

"Would you still have made me apologize if you knew?" Mary Ellen asked.

"Yes," Olivia said, "because what you did was wrong, even though your reason for doing it was right. I'm  
glad you stuck up for your sister."

"Well, that wasn't the only reason I did it," Mary Ellen admitted. "It was also because she wouldn't stop talking about  
that poem."

"It can be annoying to be reminded over and over about something like that," Olivia said.

"What really made me mad," Mary Ellen said, "is that everything was really her fault."

"Was it?" Olivia asked. "Did Martha Rose make you copy that poem?"

"No, Mama. I guess... I've been so busy blaming Martha Rose that I forgot I was the one who cheated."

"Well, I can't blame you for wanting to forget that."

"I wish I could make everyone forget what I did."

"You can, Mary Ellen."

"How?"

"By giving them something better to think about, when they think about Mary Ellen Walton"


	17. Martha Rose's Apology

"I'm glad your fever is gone," Mary Ellen said to Erin at the breakfast table the next morning.

"So am I," Erin answered, taking a forkful of scrambled eggs.

"I can't wait to hear Martha Rose apologize to you. And I'm going to see to it that she does it in front of all the girls."

"I don't care if she apologizes in front of all the girls or just to me."

"Look, Erin," Mary Ellen said, buttering a slice of toast, "she insulted you in front of them, so it's only fair that she should apologize in front of them."

"I guess you're right," Erin said.

Olivia took a sip of coffee, put the cup down, and said, "Erin, I want you to accept it Martha Rose's apology graciously, and," she added, "to forgive her."

"Yes, Mama," Erin promised, "I will."

####

Later, while the children were walking into the schoolhouse, Mary Ellen tapped Martha Rose on the shoulder.

Martha Rose turned and looked at her.

"Don't forget," Mary Ellen said in a low voice, "your mother said you have to apologize to Erin."

"I know. I'll apologize at recess."

"And I think it should be in front of the other girls," Mary Ellen went on.

"All right," Martha Rose said in a reluctant tone of voice.

####

When recess time came, Mary Ellen, Erin, and Martha Rose went outside together. Martha Rose called the other  
girls over to them.

"I have something to say to Erin," Martha Rose announced, "and I think all of you should hear it."

The girls waited.

"I'm sorry, Erin," Martha Rose said. "I shouldn't have told the other girls not to play with you the other day."

Erin, remembering her promise to her mother, said, "I accept your apology, Martha Rose."

But Martha Rose wasn't finished.

"After all," she said, "you can't help having a cheat for a sister."

She walked away.

A furious Mary Ellen called after her, "Martha Rose Coverdale, you're a..."

Miss Hunter came out of the schoolhouse just in time to hear her.

"Mary Ellen Walton! You get inside right now!"


	18. Miss Hunter Makes A Decision

Mary Ellen's face broiled with shame.

"Miss Hunter." she stammered... and Mary Ellen never stammered..."I... I...I'm sorry. I didn't  
mean to say it. It just slipped out."

"Truthfully, Mary Ellen, I'm surprised that you would even _know_ that word. Now do as I told  
you and go inside."

Mary Ellen obeyed without saying anything more.

Miss Hunter's students had seldom, if ever, heard their teacher speak so sternly. Most of them were  
worried about what she might do to punish Mary Ellen. _Most_ of them.

"Miss Hunter, what are you going to do to Mary Ellen for what she called me?"

Before Miss Hunter could answer, Erin snapped, "Why don't you shut up, Martha Rose? You _deserved_ what she called you!" She  
turned to Miss Hunter and added, "Please don't be too hard on Mary Ellen."

"Well, if you ask me," Martha Rose said, "you ought to paddle her good and hard."

"Miss Hunter has never paddled anyone, and you know it," John-Boy pointed out.

"She doesn't even _have_ a paddle," Erin added.

"I will deal with Mary Ellen," Miss Hunter said, "but in order to do that fairly, I need to know _why_ she called you that name."

"There's no excuse for what she called me."

"I'm not excusing her, but I do need to know all the circumstances."

####

A few minutes later, Mary Ellen heard Miss Hunter walk into the schoolhouse with the other children.

"Please take you seats," said Miss Hunter. When the children had done so, she continued, "I now know  
what to do about the incident that took place between Mary Ellen and Martha Rose."


	19. Surprises For Mary Ellen and Martha Rose

Miss Hunter said, "Name-calling, especially vulgar names, is something I absolutely will not tolerate from any of my students,  
for any reason whatsoever." She repeated, firmly, "For _any_ reason _whatsoever._ Does everyone understand this?"

"Yes, Miss Hunter," chorused the class in almost perfect unison. 

"Mary Ellen and Martha Rose," Miss Hunter went on, "both of you are guilty of name-calling. Now, I want you to apologize  
to each other." 

"I'm sorry for what I called you, Martha Rose," Mary Ellen said, figuring that it was best to get the apology over with. 

"Thank you, Mary Ellen," said Miss Hunter. "Martha Rose?" 

"I'm sorry," Martha Rose mumbled. 

"Please speak more clearly, and address Mary Ellen by her name." 

"I'm sorry for what I called you, Mary Ellen." 

"That's better," Miss Hunter said. "And now for your punishment. You will both stay after school  
and write _I will not call people names_ fifty times on the blackboard." 

Mary Ellen, although she was not happy about having to stay and write sentences, was pleasantly surprised  
that Martha Rose had been given the same punishment. 

Martha Rose, too, was surprised, but not at all pleasantly. Wasn't it enough that she had had to apologize to  
Mary Ellen in front of everybody? 

"I'm going to leave you here by yourselves," Miss Hunter told Mary Ellen and Martha Rose at three o'clock.  
 **"You may leave as soon as you finish your sentences, and I expect you to behave."**

"We'll wait outside until you finish," John-Boy said to Mary Ellen. 

Mary Ellen and Martha Rose stood at the blackboard, writing their punishment sentences. Is there _any_ punishment more  
tedious than that? Mary Ellen and Martha Rose didn't think so. It may have surprised them if they had known that, for  
once at least, they were in perfect agreement. 

Miss Hunter, on her way home, suddenly realized that she had left something in the schoolhouse. She went back to get it. 

Meanwhile, Mary Ellen finished writing her sentences. She put down her chalk and, without a word to Martha Rose,  
walked out of the schoolhouse. Martha Rose finished _her_ sentences two seconds later, and met Mary Ellen outside.  
She _did_ say something to Mary Ellen. 

"I don't care what Miss Hunter said," Martha Rose hissed, not noticing that Miss Hunter herself was approaching. "I still  
think you are nothing but a cheat!" 

"Martha Rose," Miss Hunter said quietly, "go back into the schoolhouse." 

Martha Rose went without a word. Miss Hunter followed her. 

The Walton children yielded to the temptation to wait outside and listen. They couldn't hear what Miss Hunter said to Martha Rose,  
but they _did_ hear a few _other_ sounds. First, they heard a desk drawer being pulled open. A minute later, they heard some sounds that  
made Mary Ellen snicker. 

"You were wrong, Erin," she said. "Miss Hunter _does_ have a paddle, after all."


	20. Miss Hunter and Martha Rose

As Miss Hunter and Martha Rose walked into the schoolhouse, Miss Hunter came to a decision.

When she had first started teaching, one of her friends had presented her with a paddle.

"Eleanor," Miss Hunter had objected, "you know I don't believe in corporal punishment." 

"I know, Rosemary, but take it anyway, and keep it somewhere in your classroom. You never know when it  
might come in handy."

And for all this time, that paddle had remained, unused, in the drawer of her desk.

Miss Hunter looked towards the blackboard on which Mary Ellen and Martha Rose had each written, fifty times  
I will not call people names, and said, "I'm sure you remember writing those sentences."

"Yes, Miss Hunter."

"Yet not long after you wrote them," Miss Hunter went on, "I heard you call Mary Ellen a cheat. And earlier  
today," she reminded Martha Rose, "you said that I should paddle Mary Ellen for what _she_ called _you_. Remember?

Martha Rose did not answer.

"So you think that a paddling is an appropriate punishment for name-calling? For _anyone_ who calls somebody names?"

Martha Rose looked at the floor. She had heard the emphasis Miss Hunter had put on the word _anyone_.

"Martha Rose," Miss Hunter said, opening the drawer and taking out the paddle, "I'm going to do what you  
suggested."

Seconds later, Martha Rose found herself receiving the first, and the last, spanking of her life.  


After the tenth spank, Miss Hunter said, "Two more." She was just as relieved as Martha Rose that it was almost over. 

WHACK! 

"OWWWW!" 

WHACK! 

"OWWWW!" 

"Now go stand in the corner for ten minutes."

While a tearful Martha Rose stood in the corner, rubbing her bottom, Miss Hunter wrote a note to her parents. She felt that  
they should know what had happened.

"I can't wait to see Martha Rose tomorrow," Mary Ellen gloated as the Walton children walked home.

"You're not going to say anything to her," said John-Boy. "We had no business staying to listen, and I'm  
ashamed that we did."

"But it _is_ funny that after saying that Mary Ellen should be paddled, Martha Rose got it instead," Erin pointed out.

"Yes," John-Boy said, "but for all we know, the next one to get paddled by Miss Hunter might be one of us." 

But John-Boy was mistaken. Never again would Miss Hunter paddle one of her students.

"I just hope," Mary Ellen said, "that all this business about that poem is finally over."

But it wasn't.


	21. An Indignant Mother

Miss Hunter was in the schoolhouse the next morning, assigning different arithmetic work to  
different grades. Martha Rose had not come to school; Miss Hunter wondered whether the paddling  
had anything to do with it.

She had just finished giving out the work when Mrs. Coverdale opened the door.

"Miss Hunter, I wish to speak to you... outside."

"I'll be right there. Children, go on with your work, and no talking, please. And remember, you are on your honor."

"Miss Hunter," Martha Rose's mother began as soon as the teacher came outside, "how _dare_ you paddle my daughter!  
Who do you think you are?"

"I acted within my rights," Miss Hunter replied with dignity, "and I was not unduly severe. Besides," she added, "the paddling  
was Martha Rose's idea in the first place."

"Miss Hunter, you certainly do not expect me to believe that my daughter ASKED you to spank her!" Mrs. Coverdale snapped.

"Of course not, Mrs. Coverdale." Miss Hunter went on to explain _exactly_ what had led up to the paddling.  


"Well," Mrs. Coverdale said when she had finished, "at least _my_ daughter did not use vulgar language, as Mary Ellen Walton did." 

"The difference," Miss Hunter said, "is that what Mary Ellen said just slipped out, and she looked ashamed as soon  
as it did."

"As well she should!"

"Martha Rose, on the other hand, has continually and deliberately taunted Mary Ellen."

"Well, after all, Mary Ellen _did_ plagiarize that poem!"

"I see no point in continuing this discussion," Miss Hunter said. "I'll expect to see Martha Rose back at school tomorrow."

"Only if you give me your word that you will never paddle her again.  


"I assure you that I won't," said Miss Hunter. "And now I _must_ get back to my students. Good day, Mrs. Coverdale."

Martha Rose returned to school the next day. She did not taunt Mary Ellen in any way; as a matter of fact, she avoided her.  


"Perhaps," Miss Hunter said to herself, "I need to reconsider my views on corporal punishment. It certainly seems to have  
worked in this case."

But Miss Hunter was mistaken, as she found out later that afternoon.

Martha Rose was in Ike Godsey's store, buying candy.

"I'll have ten cents' worth of gumdrops," Martha Rose began, "and ten cents' worth of jelly beans."

The Walton children came in on an errand for their Grandma while Ike was measuring out the candy.

"Mr. Godsey, those Waltons are here," Martha Rose announced. "I'd keep an eye on Mary Ellen if I were you."

"Why?" asked Ike Godsey.

Miss Hunter walked into the store in time to hear Martha Rose's next sentence, "Well, everyone _knows_ she's a cheat, so she  
might also be a thief."

"Martha Rose is worse than ever," thought John-Boy.

Miss Hunter cleared her throat. 

"Martha Rose."

"You can't punish me," Martha Rose interrupted Miss Hunter. "There's nothing you can do about what I do or say  
_outside_ of school."  


"Oh, yes," Miss Hunter thought to herself, "there _is_ something I can do."


	22. That Sunday

Reverend Fordwick looked out at his congregation the next Sunday. He had just read the Gospel passage about the woman taken in adultery.

"When somebody's wrong doing becomes public knowledge," he began.

Perhaps it was voluntary, perhaps it was an automatic reaction, but almost everyone turned to look at Mary Ellen.

"When somebody's wrong doing becomes public knowledge," the minister repeated, "how easy it is to throw stones, to condemn, to judge. How morally superior we think ourselves. But," he challenged, "how much better are we ourselves, really? Who among us is without sin? I know I'm not. All of us, if we want to look at a sinner, need only look in the mirror."

Several people squirmed and looked at their shoes.

Reverend Fordwick went on, "To me, one of the greatest, one of the worst, sins is to talk about another person's faults. Gossip is evil, whether it is true or false. And, in a way, to gossip about a person is to judge that person.

Let's stop judging. Let's stop throwing stones."

Miss Hunter mouthed the words, "Thank you."

But as the congregation filed out at the end of the service, Mrs. Coverdale turned to the minister and said, and not in a whisper, "Next time, instead of lecturing us, why don't you preach about the sin of plagiarism?"

Martha Rose nodded her head.

And it was at that moment that Mary Ellen knew that neither the teacher, nor the minister, could stop people from talking about what she had done. No. She, Mary Ellen Walton, was the only one who could stop it.

And there was only one way to do it.


	23. The Poem: Conclusion

When school was over the next day, Mary Ellen stopped at Miss Hunter's desk.

"Yes, Mary Ellen?"

"Can I please," Mary Ellen began.

Miss Hunter's right index finger rose in pure teacher fashion.

Mary Ellen corrected herself.

" _May_ I please have some paper?"

"Yes, you may."

"Thank you, Miss Hunter," said Mary Ellen, "and thank you for not asking me what I want it for."

Two Saturdays afterwards, Miss Hunter was leafing through her advance subscriber's copy of The Junior Journal, which had arrived on Thursday,  
but which she had been too busy to read.

Fifteen minutes later, after some quick pondering, she went to see Reverend Fordwick, carrying the magazine with her.

"Instead of my usual sermon," Reverend Fordwick said the next day, "I want to read a letter that was printed in this week's "Junior Journal."

The congregation stirred. Here was something different.

"I'm Mary Ellen Walton, " Reverend Fordwick read, [several heads turned to look at Mary Ellen] "and I'm writing to apologize for cheating in your poetry contest. I think you'll be glad to know my Daddy gave me the worst spanking I ever got in my life with a razor strop, and my Mama made me learn fifteen Bible verses."

Several people murmured:

"She deserved it."  
"Served her right."

They felt a nudge of shame when Reverend Fordwick read the next line,

"The spanking really hurt, but I deserved it. But that's not the worst of it. The worst is how disappointed my family was when they found out I copied that poem from a newspaper.

And I'm disappointed in myself for cheating.

Yours Truly, Mary Ellen Walton."

Reverend Fordwick stopped reading for a minute, and then went on, "And here is the editor's response.

"We believe that Mary Ellen Walton's apology is sincere," he read, "because with her letter she enclosed several sheets of paper on which she had written one hundred times, _I will never cheat in any way again._ "

There was complete, total silence in the church.

And then, almost everyone, including her own family, turned to smile at Mary Ellen.


End file.
